The mysterious defendant charged in a
$100 million, cross-country veterans charity fraud balked at testifying
at his trial Tuesday and asked for time to decide.

The
defendant, who identifies himself as 67-year-old Bobby Thompson but has
been identified by authorities as Harvard-trained attorney John Donald
Cody, was prodded repeatedly by the judge on whether he would testify.

There is no requirement to testify, but the judge asked to hear from the defendant directly.

A mess: John Donald Cody, 67, aka Bobby Thompson, entered the courtroom on Tuesday in Cleveland with an unbuttoned shirt

Unkempt: Cody showed up in court on Tuesday with disheveled, greasy hair. He is charged in a $100 million veterans charity fraud

Facing trial: Cody was a fugitive for two years and was caught in Portland, Oregon with a suitcase full of cash amounting to almost $1 million

‘Mr Thompson,’ Judge Steven Gall said, raising his voice to repeat what he called ‘a simple question’ on whether he would testify.

The judge ordered a recess to let the defendant make a decision and clean up his appearance.

He had entered court with his shirt unbuttoned to the waist, his baggy pants bunched around his ankles and his hair disheveled.

That could change before the decision is announced to the jury, Patituce said during the lunch break.

The former fugitive is charged with looting the United States Navy Veterans Association charity that he ran in Tampa, Florida. The charges include racketeering, money laundering, theft and identity theft.

The defendant disappeared for almost two years after his 2010 indictment. He was arrested last year in Portland, Oregon, where agents and deputy marshals found fake IDs and a suitcase containing $980,000 in cash.

The defendant showered politicians,
often Republicans, with political donations. The judge rejected a
defense request to subpoena testimony from leading Ohio Republicans
including U.S. House Speaker John Boehner.

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Politicians
who received donations from him, according to campaign finance filings,
include former President George W. Bush and former presidential
contenders Mitt Romney, John McCain and Rudy Giuliani.

Ohio
Attorney General Mike DeWine, whose office handled the trial
prosecution, said he believes that photos the defendant had taken with
high-profile Republicans such as Bush, Boehner and GOP strategist Karl
Rove were used to soften up potential donors.

Besides
Boehner, political donations went to almost every member of the state’s
GOP congressional delegation and two of DeWine’s predecessors as
attorney general.

The
trial of the one-time fugitive started on September 30. The alleged fraud spanned 41 states, including up to $2million in Ohio.

Rubbing shoulders with the top: Politicians who received donations from him, according to campaign finance filings, include former President George W. Bush, who he is pictured with here

Many politicians: Cody, second from left, also gave donations to the likes of former presidential contender John McCain, far left

Strategy: The photos Cody had taken with high-profile Republicans such as GOP strategist Karl Rove, left, were used to soften up potential donors, according to the Ohio Attorney General, Mike DeWine

Caught: John Donald Cody, aka Bobby Thompson, at a court hearing in May, after his arrest

Authorities said little, if any, of the money collected by the charity was used to benefit veterans.

His
defense team had sought to force testimony by recipients to show his
actions were legal, but a judge rejected the move last week.

His attorney said any fraud involved solicitors, not his client.

Authorities said the defendant used his VIP political connections to encourage donors to give to his charity.

While
on the run, investigators tracked him through Arizona, Florida,
Indiana, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Washington and West Virginia.

Cody had a prestigious educational background, with a
degree from the University of Virginia (UVA) and a law degree from
Harvard.

He
had been a U.S. Army Captain in Military Intelligence and previously
practiced law in Sierra Vista, Arizona from 1980 to 1984.

During
his law career in Arizona, he became the subject of an investigation
over claims he was stealing money from his clients but Cody skipped town
before he could be apprehended and since 1987 has been a fugitive from
the FBI.

According to a federal warrant, dated May 4, 1987, out of the Eastern
District of Virginia, Cody is charged with interstate transportation of
fraudulent traveler’s checks from probate estates’ bank accounts, false
statements to an investment brokerage firm, and false statements on loan
applications.

A
former colleague, Dennis Lusk, now chief judge of the Arizona Motor
Vehicle Division, had worked with Cody in Arizona and remembered him as
bizarre.

D.C. elite: The suspect formerly known as Bobby Thompson poses with House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio)

His non-profit group boasted a membership of more than
66,000 members in 40 states but little of the money raised ever made its
way to assist military service members.

Law enforcement officials began investigating Cody and he was charged with multiple counts of fraud in 2010.

Once again, he abandoned his identity and set off on a cross-country
journey using numerous aliases to evade police.

From June 2010 to May 2012, investigators believe he hid out in Massachusetts, Arizona, New
Mexico Rhode Island, West Virginia, Indiana, Florida, Washington and ultimately Portland, Oregon - where he was finally caught.

He
was arrested at a boarding house where he had rented a room, and
investigators say one of the few belongings they found was a DVD of
Catch Me If You Can, the Leonardo DiCaprio drama chronicling the wild
history of convicted conman Frank Abagnale.